We previously wrote the Kremlin is attempting to rein in the arms race it started with the United States in recent years, with its showcasing of ‘hypersonic missiles’ and ‘doomsday drones’. Recently Russian President Vladimir Putin suggested the United States and the Russian Federation unconditionally extend the START treaty for one year, as a way to continue arms control.
The Trump administration has been focused on removing the United States from unfair treaties ‘negotiated’ by previous, globalist American governments. National Security Advisor Robert O’Brien was having none of it.
The United States wants China involved in any new negotiations. The Kremlin fears it now cannot keep up with a second term for President Trump and the modernization of the American nuclear deterrent.
“President Putin’s response today to extend New START without freezing nuclear warheads is a non-starter,” said Robert O’Brien, the national security advisor.
O’Brien said the United States had already proposed a one-year extension to give time to negotiate beyond the treaty’s scheduled expiration in February — with the understanding that the world’s two biggest nuclear powers would freeze warhead work in the interim period, wrote AFP.
“This would have been a win for both sides, and we believed the Russians were willing to accept this proposal when I met with my counterpart in Geneva,” O’Brien said in a statement on Twitter.
“The United States is serious about arms control that will keep the entire world safe. We hope that Russia will re-evaluate its position before a costly arms race ensues,” he said.
